USDA

Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Jerry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s mission seems to be to promote agribusiness as well as public health, often leading to imperfect compromises, which is why many countries keep the two missions separate.

USDA inspection data provide information on the safety levels of the U.S. meat supply. USDA inspectors have previously found 25% of chicken they sampled to be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. A national survey of fecal samples found half of American cattle herds tested were infected with Yersinia bacteria, and most American beef has been found to be infested with sarcocystis parasites. One in six lambs testd were infected with the parasite, toxoplasma, and a 2011 report of the USDA National Residue program indicated that out of 10 million slaughtered pigs in the U.S., only 310 were tested that year for ractopamine, an adrenaline-like drug. The 2012 report acknowledged that no pigs were tested.

As part of its mission to promote public health, the USDA maintains a nutrient database, which indicates, among other things, that dairy and meat contain up to 5% unhealthy trans fats. In 2007, the USDA produced an additional database that provided the antioxidant value of about 300 foods. However, in 2012, the USDA removed the database, concerned that the values were being misused by food and dietary supplement manufacturing companies to promote their products.